Legislation

UK - Only 29% of organisations made some pension provision in 2000 compared with 34% in 1998, according to a new research report on employers' pension provision published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

EUROPE - PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has warned that the business competitiveness of the European Union is under threat due to obstacles such as cross border pensions and employment regulations that prevent workforce mobility.

UK - Inadequate national insurance rebates are not the only factor that will encourage companies to move their employees back into the state earnings-related pensions scheme (SERPS), according to Watson Wyatt. It is the political risk of further changes...

UK - Thousands of people in money purchase pension schemes are in for a shock next year when new actuarial rules reduce their expected retirement pots by more than half.

UK - Improved choice and greater access to financial advice would be available to consumers under radical new de-regulatory proposals set out by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) yesterday.

UK - The government will not be issuing a separate consultation on ways to improve stakeholder sales despite announcing yesterday that it is to look at cutting red tape holding back the product.

UK - Industry figures have welcomed the two-tier system which Paul Myners believes is needed for compliance with his review's code of principles.

UK - Blagden directors put off a settlement with pension scheme trustees because they feared it could trigger legal action by shareholders.

UK - Opposition MPs are urging the government to take action to halt the rash of closures of defined benefit schemes.

UK - Liberal Demcorat pensions spokesman Steve Webb MP believes pensions minister Ian McCartney has his work cut out to convince the industry he understands the scale of the pensions problem